


Instinct

by Copperfur, leafmon1995



Category: Digimon Frontier
Genre: Altered Mental States, Beast Spirits take over, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-25
Updated: 2017-07-19
Packaged: 2018-09-26 19:51:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,499
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9919757
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Copperfur/pseuds/Copperfur, https://archiveofourown.org/users/leafmon1995/pseuds/leafmon1995
Summary: Frontier AU. What if the Frontier children lost control of their Beast Spirits and the Digimon consumed them from the inside?





	1. Cherubimon's Betrayal

There it was again… that feeling. She wasn’t sure where it was coming from, but there was an unwanted presence in the castle. The presence felt… wrong. It felt tainted, dark, evil even.

 

She frowned at that. The presence lingered throughout the castle. It was barely noticeable at first, but lately, it had gotten stronger. She could feel the taint of darkness and something off from within the castle. It was quite unsettling.

 

Ophanimon had tried to track down this dark presence. However, the presence kept changing and shifting, never staying in one place for very long to allow her to get a good reading of it. Ophanimon had grown more concerned as the days passed. The dark presence may not have been very strong, but it was in areas that no one should be in. The presence had been at the library (no one but them and Sorcerimon used this), the meeting room, her bedroom, the great hall, the room where they have their meals (at least she, Sorcerimon and Seraphimon anyway), and finally Cherubimon’s bedroom.

 

The thought that someone had managed to bypass their defences and managed to infiltrate their home concerned her. She feared that there was an intruder at the castle. This was bad in any situation. She had no idea who the presence was and what it was doing.

 

Ophanimon frowned as she sat at the round table of the meeting room. She had told Seraphimon and Cherubimon about her concerns at the beginning of the meeting. She had told them of what she sensed in the castle and where the trail had lead to. Ophanimon didn’t find it odd that the two had not noticed the evil presence from within the castle. Seraphimon and Cherubimon weren’t as intuitive as she was.

 

“I seriously doubt there is an intruder at the castle, Ophanimon. I would know if someone I didn’t authorize entered my castle. Are you sure?” She had expected that would be Seraphimon’s response. She had known him since they were Child levels. She was one of the ones that knew him better than most.

 

“It’s probably nothing,” Cherubimon said as he dismissed her concerns. “No outsider could get in here.” Cherubimon had been agitated over the months. He had been disturbed about the peace they were trying to keep among the Beast and Human Digimon. But she was shocked that he just waved her concerns away liked that. She would have thought that the Beast Angel would want to get to the bottom of the situation, to at least clear it up.

 

“Yes, I understand and I agree with the both you, but I have a bad feeling about this. We should at least look into this. Don’t you think?”

 

The two of them were silent for a moment before either of them spoke. Cherubimon’s features darkened as his frowned deeply. He was clearly not convinced. However, this greatly concerned her. It felt as if he was hiding something from them. But what?

 

“I see no harm in further looking into this. I will have to consult with Sorcerimon later today and tell him of a possible intruder or break in. Maybe he will be able to pick something up.”

 

Ophanimon smiled at the suggestion and nodded in relief. She felt slightly better that her old friend was taking her concerns seriously.

 

“Are you serious?!” Cherubimon yelled angrily. “This is absolutely ridiculous!”

 

“But Cherubimon,” Ophanimon said softly, wanting to make him understand her concerns. “This presence feels dark to me. I know I don’t have any proof to show you, but I feel we should at least check it out. We don’t know what it is and it could be a Digimon just as powerful as Lucemon for all we know.”

 

Cherubimon’s frown deepened as he listened to her. Cherubimon always seemed to think over what she had to say. Cherubimon was a compassionate leader to the Beast Digimon. She just hoped he would at least agree to look into her concerns this time.

 

“Cherubimon… I just want to make sure we all stay safe…”

 

Cherubimon’s eyes narrowed in anger as his expression darkened to something she had never seen on him before. “Safe?! You mean just like your laws?” She had never seen him this angry before.

 

“What’s wrong with the laws?” Seraphimon didn’t sound defensive, just generally curious.

 

“To honour these simplicities are absolutely absurd!” Cherubimon shook his head angrily. “Law… love… order… this world is a wild place!” Ophanimon jumped slightly in her seat as Cherubimon banged the table with his fists. “Chaos is its natural state. But you Human-type Digimon cannot understand that!”

 

Cherubimon turned away from them and began to teleport away. “Cherubimon, wait!” Ophanimon yelled, extending her hand out to him, but it was too late. He was gone. “Cherubimon…” Her hand dropped to her side as she let out a sigh. What would they do now?

 

“Ophanimon?”

 

“Hmm?” Ophanimon turned to face her friend and saw him get up from his seat.

 

“Cherubimon might be right. We have different views from him. Maybe those views are not the best for the Beast type Digimon.” Seraphimon rested his hand on his chair. “I’m going to find Sorcerimon and talk to him about this presence that you’ve sensed.”

 

Ophanimon nodded. But she still had a very bad feeling about Cherubimon. He seemed far too angry and he was clearly hiding something. Was there something happening to the Beast Digimon and he thought that they wouldn’t handle it right? Maybe they should alter their views and find common ground to benefit both Human and Beast Digimon.

 

“Why don’t you meet me at the balcony in a few hours?” Seraphimon said, unaware that he was speaking her thoughts. “I think we can find common ground on our views with Cherubimon, somewhere.”

 

Ophanimon smiled at her friend as he turned and left the meeting room. Yes, she did feel they could find common ground, but why did she get the feeling that something horrible was going to happen?

 

The view from the balcony never ceased to amaze her. She could see the decades-old trees of the Forest Kingdom standing steady and tall as it expanded throughout the land. The trees gave shelter to many of the Digimon, as well as hiding resources, like the river that flowed deep within the forest and the various Meat Apples that were scattered around the land.

 

The Trailmon that lead to the Cherubimon’s other home, the Rose Morning Star, could also be seen in the distance. The dark red aura of the island seemed to glow in the distance as she stared in that direction. She, of course, knew it was home to many Dark Human and Beast Digimon. But it was Cherubimon’s home, so she believed it was a decent place if her fellow angel stayed there more often than he did at the castle.

 

Ophanimon frowned slightly as she thought about the Beast types. There were still a lot to do if they wished to keep the peace between the Human and Beast Digimon. Many Beast Digimon had been prisoners for so long that they did not trust the Human Digimon and the same could be said about the Human Digimon. The Human Digimon had also suffered at the hands at Beast Digimon.

 

It was a delicate process, she realized, trying to get them to return to the peace they had before the fight broke out. But she knew they could do it. They just needed to see what worked and what didn’t. Despite what Cherubimon thought, she and Seraphimon did know what it was like to be a Beast type. They had felt the effects of war when they were Child levels. She had been a Plotmon long ago, while Seraphimon had been a Patamon. It had been years since they had been in those lower forms, scared and helpless to protect themselves and others from both Human and Beast Digimon that were ten times their size.

 

The war might be over thanks to the Ancient Ten, but it didn’t feel like it. There was so much tension in the air between the two groups, waiting for one side to snap, to resume the unwinnable battle. It made Ophanimon wonder if Cherubimon was right and… if they failed to ease this tension between the two, further fuelling the war of hatred and anger… would the peace resume back to violence and bloodshed? Would the war continue after the first one had been stopped?

 

“What are we going to do, Seraphimon?” Seraphimon hadn’t said a word since he arrived ten minutes ago. She assumed he was in deep thought about something. What that was, she wasn’t sure, but she knew it was something very serious if he hadn’t spoken yet.

 

“I don’t know, Ophanimon,” Seraphimon said, his voice bordering on uncertainty. She glanced at him from behind her mask. “There is only so much we can do. The war had been going on way before we were born. The gap between the two types has grown very wide since then. Maybe too wide for us to mend.”

 

Ophanimon frowned, as her shoulders sagged a bit in disappointment. She was afraid of this. “Are you saying that there will never be peace between us and the Beast types?”

 

Seraphimon shook his head. “I’m not saying that, Ophanimon. I’m just saying that it will not be easy. The laws we have in place presently were to free those who were imprisoned during the war and to allow them to live a fresh start with money and benefits that we have provided for them. Though, I fear that there is far too much hatred and mistrust among the groups to stop one from discriminating or mistreating the other.”

 

Ophanimon’s frown deepened. She really didn’t like the sound of that. They had known it would be hard to fix the relationships between Beast and Human Digimon. But she feared that the war had gone on for too long, making their job of mending what was damaged difficult.

 

“What should we do then?” she asked with a sigh. “Cherubimon has different views than us. I don’t want to make him think that we don’t care about the Beast Digimon.”

 

“We’ll think of something, Ophanimon.” Ophanimon didn’t comment as she returned her attention to the view of the forest. Everything seemed peaceful and quiet, but she knew it wouldn’t last for long. “You were right about the dark presence.”

 

Ophanimon inclined her head, indicating to her old friend that she was listening. “Sorcerimon swept the castle with his own magic. The presence came from Cherubimon’s quarters.” It was as she feared. But then, she paused a moment.  _Wait…_

 

“That’s where he keeps the Beast Spirits.” Ophanimon realized with a frown. Why would he keep _all_ of the Beast Spirits in his quarters? Was he planning on corrupting them somehow? Something wasn’t right, but what?

 

Seraphimon picked up on his close friend’s unease. “The Beast Spirits? Could the dark presence be that one or more of them are already corrupted?” He was just as unsure as Ophanimon was but, like her, wanted to resolve things as peacefully as he could with the Beast Digimon’s leader.

 

Seraphimon stepped away from the balcony, striding towards the middle of the room to mull on the situation. Ophanimon turned to face her friend, but didn’t say anything to disturb his concentration.

 

Neither of them were sure how to go about a non-violent resolution now that the Beast Spirits were on the line with apparent contamination. The fact that Cherubimon had hoarded the Beast Spirits meant he was going to try something. But how soon?

 

They couldn’t just go storming up to his room and make sure the Spirits were securely back on their side. The two Human Digimon knew Cherubimon, or thought they had known him well enough by this point to know he would have a strong Human or Beast guard watching them.

 

For now, it seemed like a wise idea to wait and hopefully catch Cherubimon off-guard in order to retrieve the Spirits safely.

 

Sorcerimon stepped carefully down the staircase, detecting the tension in the air. “Is this a good time, Lord Seraphimon?” He asked tentatively, not wanting to interrupt either saviour.

 

“Yes, Sorcerimon. Come in, my friend.” Seraphimon answered amiably. Just like that, Seraphimon and Ophanimon buried the matter for now. They would look into it more at a later time.

 

“I was sweeping the floors just before, cleaning the castle when I noticed this.” Sorcerimon held a Beast Spirit up.

 

It was the Spirit of Petaldramon.

 

“Where did you get that?” Ophanimon spoke quietly, but her tone was serious.

 

Surely Cherubimon’s guard was not playing with the Spirits in an attempt to frame them? At this point, she couldn’t be sure. Neither could Seraphimon, as the two Human angels shared an anxious glance.

 

Sorcerimon heard his Lady’s tone become serious and briefly wondered if he’d stepped into a battlefield. “Outside Cherubimon’s quarters, my Lady. Why?”

 

Ophanimon shook her head. There was no time for small talk. “Where was the guard?!” She hissed, trying to get her point across.

 

When Sorcerimon still stared at her with a bewildered expression, she continued, growling as her anxiety rose. “You need to put that back. Right now. Cherubimon could be trying to frame us.”

 

Sorcerimon turned to Seraphimon, waiting for an explanation. But the armoured angel hurried him to the staircase. “Quickly, my friend.”

 

“If you insist, my Lord.” Sorcerimon was baffled by the behaviour of both Seraphimon and Ophanimon, but would do as they said. He wasn’t entirely sure why the guard hadn’t been at his post or even why the Beast Spirit had been outside of Cherubimon’s quarters.

 

The mage was confused. What exactly was going on here? Why was Ophanimon saying Cherubimon would frame them? Frame them for what? Just because they were two different races of Digimon didn’t mean they should stir up bad blood again.

 

Nevertheless, the elf rushed to put the Beast Spirit back where it had been.

 

So far, it appeared as though they were in the clear and the guard hadn’t decided to alert his master at once. Sorcerimon pushed the door ajar, searching for any sign of the Devimon. Seeing nothing, the mage cautiously entered the room. He replaced the Spirit, jumping when Devimon materialized.

 

The fallen angel leered at Sorcerimon for a moment. “You’re lucky I didn’t decide to tell Lord Cherubimon about my ‘accident’.” He sneered, narrowing his eyes in glee at Sorcerimon’s horrified expression.

 

Devimon took a few steps back, though, when Seraphimon and Ophanimon charged into the room to defend Sorcerimon.

 

“You set us up!” Ophanimon bristled, anger radiating off of her.

 

She couldn’t believe this. Why would another Human Digimon do such a deplorable thing? Part of her guessed why he had done it, but the other part wondered why Cherubimon had not been notified straight away. What was the Devimon seeking to gain by the delay?

 

“Course I did,” Devimon answered scornfully. He wanted the war to start once more. He loved the chaos.

 

Seraphimon was still staring at the Devimon. The Ultimate level angel seemed to be waiting for something. “Why?” was all he asked, fearing he knew the answer. But he had to hear it for himself.

 

Devimon began to laugh like a madman. “For the screams and the bloodshed.”

 

“!” Ophanimon looked at Devimon in a new light. He was either a survivor of the Sacrificial War where the Ancient Ten had been able to successfully seal Lucemon at the cost of their own lives or he had reconfigured since then with his memories intact somehow.

 

Devimon’s answer was what Seraphimon had been fearing. Regardless of whether he was a survivor or whether he had reconfigured with his memories intact, he unfortunately saw no other option.

 

“You know I’ll tell Lord Cherubimon the first chance I get.” Devimon gloated over how he had trapped them with his little game of trickery.

 

Seraphimon could not allow that to even remotely happen. “You’ll be saying hello to Swanmon first.” He raised his hands and seven balls of energy materialized in a teardrop shape. He hoped Devimon would forgive him in the next life. “Seven Heavens!”

 

“Wait, I switch allegia-” Devimon’s frantic plea was cut off as the attack deleted him from existence.

 

Ophanimon placed a hand on Seraphimon’s arm gently, knowing they had to hurry. Cherubimon would have seen the light of the blast from the Rose Morning Star. They knew he would come to investigate. So while they still had time, they secured the Beast Spirits between the three of them and they made their way to Ophanimon’s quarters with them, hiding them there.

 

As it turned out, Cherubimon did not come straight away like they thought he would. In fact, he didn’t come back to Seraphimon’s palace for a good several hours. This left Seraphimon and Ophanimon quite confused, but they kept quiet. He hadn’t seen the blast, so that was perfectly fine.

 

However, both Human angels knew it wouldn’t be long before Cherubimon went upstairs to his quarters to find his guard missing and the Beast Spirits no longer there. They knew he would fly into a rage at that point and would blame them. So Ophanimon hoped she could run with the Spirits if it came to that.

 

Seraphimon and Ophanimon waited tensely as first Cherubimon relaxed in the garden and spoke with some of the young Beast Digimon who would evolve into Human types later. He then appeared to admire the sunset, but Ophanimon noticed his tight posture. She gulped.

 

Did he already know and was just playing them for fools? She mentioned this to Seraphimon and he looked anxious as well, but just shrugged. Only time would tell, he answered as he tried to ease her concern.

 

However, it finally came time for the three angels to eat together. After they all ate a three course meal, Cherubimon went upstairs to his quarters. Seraphimon and Ophanimon, however, paused at the bottom of the staircase and waited.

 

Ophanimon’s whole body was ready to flee at the first sign of fury from Cherubimon. Seraphimon was prepared to defend, both his home and his fellow Digimon, even if it cost him his life.

 

A surprised noise came from the Beast angel when he saw his guard was no longer standing in front of his door. Cherubimon threw open the door, his eyes searching for the Beast Spirits but not seeing them.

 

A yell of rage burst from his mouth, as Seraphimon downstairs urged Ophanimon to leave  _now_ . Cherubimon teleported to the top of the staircase, eyes narrowing when he saw Ophanimon was nowhere to be seen.

 

“Your fight is with me, Cherubimon!” Seraphimon declared. “Leave Ophanimon out of this!” He prepared Excalibur and readied himself.

 

Cherubimon summoned a huge thundercloud that rained down lightning bolts on his enemy.

 

“Heaven’s Judgement...” Seraphimon murmured, realizing he was going to have to up the ante if he wanted to survive. The fact his palace was getting destroyed in the process was an afterthought as he evaded the attack. He had to give Ophanimon enough time to hide the Beast Spirits _and_ herself.

 

Seraphimon formed a fist with his hand, sending forth a sizeable, formidable ball of crackling lightning.

 

Cherubimon took the hit and, despite the grunt that came out of his mouth, mostly ignored the pain. He raised his arms and a black sphere formed within his hands. The Beast angel launched the sphere at Seraphimon, observing pitilessly as it sucked him up, spitting him out minutes later.

 

The Human angel looked worse for the wear. Sections of his armour had broken off and his sword was split. Seraphimon’s helmet had even broken; a large crack ran diagonally across the head gear, but his face was still unable to be fully discerned. In a last ditch attempt to weaken Cherubimon, Seraphimon raised one arm to summon powerful bolts of lightning. “... Ascension... Hallow...” Swaying, he stumbled and fell.

 

Cherubimon brushed off the latest weakened attack and chuckled darkly. “You lose, Seraphimon.” He glanced to the window and extended his senses out past the palace. Further and further he reached until he growled angrily. “Damn it, Seraphimon. Ophanimon is past the range of my senses.”

 

Furious, he sealed Seraphimon in a barrier of energy that would prevent him from freeing himself. The only flaw in his plan was that his foe could be freed by another Digimon. As far as he could tell, Sorcerimon had made himself scarce when the fighting started. Cherubimon doubted the Adult would risk injuries to his Lord, thus he wouldn’t free Seraphimon.

 

Since finding Ophanimon and retrieving the Beast Spirits was no longer an option, Cherubimon settled for returning to the Rose Morning Star. He needed to let off some steam and what better way to do that than destroy some of his guards.


	2. First Beasts Obtained

She wasn’t sure how long she had been imprisoned in this prison of light. Had she been trapped in this cage for months? Or had it been years since she hid the Beast Spirits, to prevent Cherubimon from finding them? She couldn’t quite tell anymore. All she knew was that the human children that were destined to wield the spirits of the Ancient Ten would manage to save both worlds from the corruption of darkness. Ophanimon refused to lose hope that peace would return. The purity of children was what their world needed.

 

But as the hours ticked by, her fears were becoming more and more of a reality. Cherubimon was beyond saving now. She heard his plans of getting the DigiCode of the Digital World and using it to make himself stronger. Ophanimon still held hope that the children would find the Human and Beast Spirits on their journey to stopping Cherubimon and his army. However, she did not account for the humans wielding the Human Spirits of Wood, Water, Steel and Earth to be siding with Cherubimon. She feared that the peace that she and so many others had sought to bring back to the Digital World was becoming nothing more than a dream and less of a reality.

 

But that was only the tip of the iceberg.

 

“Did you really think that mere children could stop me?”

 

Cherubimon, once her good friend, had changed. Darkness had tainted him to the very core of his being. Ophanimon had tried many times to reason with her friend, for old time’s sake. But her words would not faze him. Cherubimon ignored her words, just like before, and embraced the lies that darkness was telling him. Ophanimon feared that her friend was now unsavable, even if she continued her attempts to reason with him. He believed in what he was doing, but all he was doing was causing pain and suffering to all the Digimon that once believed in him. And what he believed in was to destroy and to taint the innocent.

 

“No.” Ophanimon’s eyes swept towards the large double steel doors as it was swung open, revealing nothing but the darkness of the hall. She stared at her fallen friend as he entered the brightly lit room of her prison. “I know they will.”

 

Ophanimon forced herself to remain calm as Cherubimon floated to her cage. Ever since that day, Cherubimon hadn’t been the same. He was no longer the wise, respected Beast Angel that she knew. Darkness had licked his once pink fur and made it as evil and cruel as his new personality and attitude. And his eyes…

 

“Is that so?” Cherubimon chuckled darkly as he floated mere inches away from her. Her heart skipped a beat as his eyes stared at her. Ophanimon had never seen eyes that were filled with so much hatred and loathing being directed at her. It made a shiver run down her spine, but she did her best to suppress it.

 

“Let me let you in on a little secret, Ophanimon.” Ophanimon managed to suppress a flinch as he glared at her. “No one — not even you, the figure of good and light among Angel Digimon — can fight the corruption of darkness.” Ophanimon’s shoulders stiffened as he smiled cruelly. “Not even those children that you believe so highly in.” The cruel, sinister laugh that escaped those lips filled her with such a sense of panic and dread that she couldn’t stop the small shaking in her hands. Thankfully the Evil Beast Angel that floated mere inches outside her cage (glaring at her with those unfamiliar eyes) did not notice her lack of composure and slight panic. “It is only a matter of time.” And then he was gone.

 

Ophanimon’s knees gave out from under her as soon as Cherubimon teleported out of the room. She continued to stare at the area that the monster (that now replaced her friend) once stood. His words continued to tumble around in her head, making her more and more aware of what Cherubimon was doing and more worried with every passing second. And as she thought about what Cherubimon had done and said, Ophanimon began to realize the depth of how far he had fallen and how much pain he would cause to achieve his goals.

 

“Children...” Her hands shook slightly as she lifted them up to remove her helmet, revealing a beautiful face and the bluest eyes that ever existed among her kind. “You will face many obstacles and hardships along your journey. My dear children, you are the Chosen Ones, our last hope to return the peace that we have failed to bring to this world. Do not be swayed by looks and lies and deception of the enemy. I know you will fight Cherubimon’s corruption and lies. I believe in you, my brave Warriors. But first, you must learn to co-exist with the Beast.”

 

Ophanimon had felt corruption in the Beasts and hoped they could overcome the darkness.

* * *

~ **…you must learn to co-exist with the Beast**.~

 

“Co-exist with the Beast?” Kouichi’s brows furrowed as he stared at his D-Scanner. Whatever this Beast was, it sounded important, but what could it be? “What on earth is that supposed to mean?”

 

Kouichi removed his gaze from his grey and black D-Scanner to his younger brother. Kouji had a firm scowl on his face as his eyes narrowed at his white and blue D-Scanner. Ever since they got that message back at the flower shop, they hadn’t been able to figure out who the woman was. But there was one thing that was clear: she wants them to find these spirits and stop these Evil Warriors from getting the Digital World’s DigiCode.

 

They had learned first hand what happened when the DigiCode was removed from an area. Kouichi really did not enjoy, nor understand, why these Digimon were purposely destroying their own world. He frowned as his mind wondered to that line of thought. For some reason that didn’t seem right. They only encountered two other Legendary Warriors — Grottemon and Arbormon — but it was obvious they were working for the enemy.

 

“Maybe the woman means the Digimon,” Takuya suggested with a shrug. “There seem to be a lot of them around here that fits that description.”

 

“I doubt it’s that simple, Kanbara-san,” his companion said dryly before glancing at Kouichi. “What do you think, Onii-san?”

 

Kouichi smiled slightly at his younger brother. It had only been a year and a half since they accidentally ran into each other at a school trip no less. It was still very strange having a twin brother. Never in his dreams had he ever thought the empty feeling he felt for years was because of their separation, their connection. They still had a lot of catching up to do, but they had gotten so far in that short amount of time.

 

Kouichi knew Kouji felt the same way. Kouji was very stubborn and a bit of a loner at times, but that could have been because of his upbringing by their father. Kouji wasn’t shy like he was, but he was quiet and reserved and maybe a bit rude most of the time when they were around others. Although, he was there for him when their grandmother died. He still carried that pain in his heart, but at least he had his brother to help support that burden. It made it hurt less.

 

“Maybe she is referring to these other spirits that we had to find. I know those other Digimon were talking about getting their Beast Spirit,” Kouichi answered.

 

“You may be right about that, Onii-san. That Digimon, Grottemon, has one.” Kouji looked at his D-Scanner. “If it is the Beast Spirits, then why do we have to learn to co-exist with it? Grottemon didn’t seem to have a problem with his. I mean,” Kouji frowned, “we are fine with the Human Spirits. Are these Beast Spirits more powerful and dangerous than the ones we have now? Or is this woman just talking about the Evil Warriors?”

 

Kouichi and Takuya remand silent, unsure of how to answer the outspoken questions they too were thinking. “We are missing something, but I can’t figure out what.” Kouji let out a heavy sigh as he returned his D-Scanner to his pocket. “There’s so much we don’t know right now. It’s so frustrating.”

 

“You can say that again,” Takuya agreed with a sigh of his own before he turned his back to them to look at the small village that the two signals were coming from.

 

The village was surrounded by odd stone sculptures and large blades of grass. There was even a river in the distance on the right side of the village. It made him wonder what type of Digimon lived in that village.

 

“Well, something is obviously wrong about this place and I have no doubt in my mind that these other Warriors and this Cherubimon has something to do with it.” Takuya turned around to look back at them. “If you ask me, trying to figure out what that message means or what the woman was trying to tell us is pointless. Grottemon and Arbormon are still out there, causing all types of trouble. I don’t know about you guys, but I am sick and tired of being beaten and outsmarted by them. They need to be stopped.”

 

Takuya might be headstrong and tend to act before thinking, but his heart was in the right place. Besides, he was right after all. As long as Grottemon and Arbormon were out there, the Digimon — no — the entire Digital World was in grave danger.

 

“You’re right, Kanbara-san,” Kouichi said with a smile. “Let's show Grottemon and Arbormon that we will not go down without a fight.” Takuya sighed in relief, glad to have his support. They both glanced at Kouji, wondering what his verdict was.

 

Kouji didn’t say anything at first. He had opted to rest his arms across his chest, while he stared past Takuya with an unreadable expression. From someone who didn’t know Kouji as well as he did, they would have thought that his brother was cold and uncaring just by looking at his posture and facial features. However, for Kouichi, Kouji was anything but cold and uncaring. Kouichi knew that his brother was just thinking over Takuya’s words carefully.

 

After several minutes had come and gone, Kouji smirked and lifted up his fist. “Well, for once, Kanbara-san, we actually agree on something.”

 

Kouichi watched Takuya (who had been nervous and unsure about his brother’s response when he didn’t say anything for a while) look at his brother in confusion for a brief moment before smiling back. Takuya lifted his own fist and fist bumped this brother's.

 

The twins and their friend headed over to the village, not knowing what they would find there other than two Spirits. The trio weren’t even sure which Spirits they were; though Kouichi silently hoped they were their Beast Spirits. He wanted to see what his looked like.

 

As they entered the village, they were greeted by a Labramon. The dog-like Digimon led them to a small café and got them some water. The trio paid for the drinks and drank them, considering their options as they studied their surroundings.

 

Kouji noticed there was a Mephismon loitering in an alleyway, watching them from the shadows. He casually picked up a menu guide and hissed at the others, hidden from the Beast Digimon’s intense gaze.

 

“There’s a Digimon in the alleyway over there watching us. No, don’t look - it’ll know we’re onto it. Well, Kanbara-san, what should we do?”

 

“Order food.”

 

Kouji couldn’t believe his ears. What was Takuya thinking at a time like this? “What?!” He almost growled.

 

“It’s easy,” Takuya began.

 

“Then explain away.” The younger twin frowned at his brother’s best friend again.

 

Takuya clarified that if they ordered food, the Digimon would think they were genuinely there for a meal and might stop watching them. Kouichi had to admit that Takuya’s plan was good, but Kouji shot his belief down in flames.

 

“It might also work for Cherubimon and was told to watch out for us,” he argued against Takuya’s idea. Any Digimon could be our enemy and we aren’t aware, Kouji rationalized.

 

Kouichi had to agree with his brother on that point, murmuring a “sorry” to Takuya. The other boy waved it off, grinning, but also conceding defeat at Kouji’s perfect counter.

 

~ **There is a Digimon waiting to take you to the Beasts**.~ The voice chimed.

 

They all reached for their D-Scanners and stared at them in shock as they heard the woman’s voice again. Then, Takuya and Kouichi glanced to Kouji for guidance as he had seen the Digimon first, even though the twins acknowledged Takuya as their leader.

 

The statement had thrown Kouji for a complete loop, as he had strongly believed the Digimon was working for Cherubimon. It might still be, as it was a Beast Digimon and not a Human type, which is what Kouji guessed the woman was.

 

“We follow it,” Kouji answered at length, lowering his head from slight anxiety. _I guess. I’m no good at being leader. Why did Kanbara-san look to me just then?_ He felt a bit rattled by the experience, if he was being honest with himself.

 

Kouichi placed a hand on his younger brother’s. “Kouji, are you okay?” He spoke quietly.

 

Raising his head, Kouji nodded slightly. “Just nervous.” For now, he had to stay strong and lead them despite not being cut out for the position.

 

“It’ll be okay,” Kouichi attempted to reassure his brother. He hugged Kouji and patted his back. Kouichi couldn’t be more proud of his twin than now.

 

“Let’s go.”

 

The trio left the café and hurried over to the Digimon waiting in the alleyway. The tall Digimon knelt and introduced itself. “My name is Mephismon. I’m an ally of Ophanimon’s. Please follow me to the Beast Spirits.”

 

The friends glanced between each other at this news. Beast Spirits?! Is this what the woman, Ophanimon, was talking about? Before they followed the goat-like Digimon, however, Kouji asked one crucial question.

 

“I’m guessing Ophanimon is a Human Digimon, so why is a Beast like you her ally?”

 

Mephismon turned at the entrance to the street. “Don’t be so judgemental, young Warrior.” The Digimon seemed wise, but Kouji was frustrated with the response.

 

“That’s not an answer. What are you hiding?”

 

Mephismon focused on leading the Warriors out of the village to the cave that was on the outskirts. “Ophanimon was once a Beast Digimon herself when she was younger. As the wielder of the Spirits of Light, you should be more accepting of things that aren’t the standard.”

 

Kouji quietened down afterwards, but Takuya and Kouichi could tell he was still bothered by something.

 

The walk to the cave took a few minutes, with Takuya and Kouichi observing their surroundings as they headed towards the location of the Beast Spirits. The forest was lush and alive with various bird-like Digimon and the grass was so green. Small insect Digimon scurried from the grass to the trees to get a better look at the three humans and even the bird Digimon stopped preening to glance down.

 

Mephismon stopped before the cave and motioned for the twins to come forward. “They are your Beast Spirits, the Beasts of Light and Darkness.”

 

Even as Kouji touched his Beast Spirit, he could tell something was off. Unfortunately, the Beast initiated the bond on its own. _What the-? Are they far more sentient than we realized?_ That was all Kouji had time to think as the Beast’s mind took over.

* * *

War.

 

Nothing good ever came from war.

 

It was a lesson they all learned long ago. The Human and Beast War had created nothing but hatred and mistrust among them. And it had only gotten worse when Lucemon got corrupted by his own powers, causing more destruction and chaos than before. This only lead to even more hatred and division among the two groups. And with this much hatred and mistrust, it could lead to one being corrupted by the darkness of their own hatred and mistrust.

 

After the defeat of Lucemon, he knew it would not be the end. The hatred and mistrust could not be erased over a battle. It would take years, centuries even. Kaiser Leomon knew the war was not over but, for now, he would rest and wait for the Chosen One to awaken him.

 

As he rested, he watched and waited. He watched through the eyes of his other half and from the memories of Ancient Sphinxmon. It saddened him to see that the Human Digimon had learned from their mistakes. They had attempted to further develop themselves, changed their views and prospectives in life to forge a way towards peace. So why couldn’t the Beast Digimon do the same?

 

The thought made Kaiser Leomon feel sad as he continued to rest and wait. The Beast Digimon had become too over confident, just because they were to be more powerful than their human counterparts.

 

_What… what’s going on?_

 

Kaiser Leomon paused in his thoughts, hearing the thread of a young one’s panicked voice echoing in his mind. The Beast Spirit could feel the connection between them. It was warm and gentle and filled with compassion. This was something the Beast Spirit had not felt in a long time. Kaiser Leomon tugged at the thread of their connection, wanting to know more of this child that he had been waiting for so long. But just as he was about to whisper to the child, without activating the bond, he smelt it.

 

Corruption.

 

Being able to smell any form of corruption or tainted darkness was a very rare gift among Digimon. Many Angel Digimon were gifted to sense darkness, but this darkness was merely a small fraction to what he smelled. Sensing corruption within the vast darkness was a very difficult gift to master and use to its full capacity. Only a rare few could accomplish that and Kaiser Leomon was one of those rare few.

 

Corruption varied from ‘mon to ‘mon, but Kaiser Leomon knew this form of corruption was of the worst kind. This type of corruption was thick, yet fluid; suffocating, yet light. If Kaiser Leomon truly had to describe this corruption, he would say that this type smelled like raw rotten meat; one that could kill even the most healthiest of Digimon. It was that smell that made him open his eyes and stare at the other Beast Spirit next to him.

 

It had been a long time since the Beast Spirit of Darkness felt fear and it was that fear that sprung him into action. Kaiser Leomon dreaded forcing his human to bond with him. The bond itself was painful. Kaiser Leomon tried his best to shield his human from the pain of evolving, but it seemed he could not prevent it all. His human screamed in agony as their souls clasped against each other as they formed into one being.

 

The mental stress of the evolution had caused his human to fall to the depths of their shared mind, away from the pain and the battle that was yet to come.

 

“Kaiser Leomon/Garmmon!” The two Beast Digimon stared at each other upon entry. Kaiser Leomon growled at the other challengingly, knowing that he cared nothing for the boy he possessed. He had heard the boy’s screams and knew he did nothing to protect him from the pain.

 

At the challenging growl, Garmmon attacked. The wolf Digimon came at him at amazing speed, biting his shoulder before he could dodge or realize what was happening. He growled in annoyance as he pushed the wolf aside. Kaiser Leomon attacked in a protective fury, knowing that he had to protect his human from the threat. As the lion Digimon fought fang against fang, paw against paw, laser against laser, the presence of the human awoke.

 

The Beast lion blasted the wolf through the wall and into the forest on the other side. Kaiser Leomon growled as he sprung forward, wanting to teach the other a lesson before he thought about flying off. As he attacked, breaking more armour and blades as they tossed in the forest, the Beast Digimon heard the thoughts of his human.

 

_Don’t hurt him… please…_

 

The thought confused KaiserLeomon as he dodged the other’s Solar Laser. KaiserLeomon ignored the screams of another human as their fighting caused parts of the cave to cave in, as well as destroying trees and strange stones that littered the forest. That wasn’t important right now. What was important was why his human didn’t want to harm him?

 

 _Why?_ He asked his human as he blasted Garmmon into a funny look stone that crumbled upon impact. _He is corrupted. He tried to harm other human and you_. The human gasped within their shared minds, struggling to comprehend what he was talking about. Kaiser Leomon knew the boy was looking through his eyes, wanting to understand what he was talking about.

 

Kaiser Leomon jumped over the wolf Digimon as he tried to attack him with his blades, awaiting his human’s answer. The Beast Digimon growled once more as he charged at the other like a torpedo. Garmmon stood no chance as he was pinned to the ground, defeated and awaiting judgement as Kaiser Leomon growled threateningly.

 

_He’s my brother…_

 

The lion paused. _Brother?_

 

_I beg you…don’t kill him…_

 

“Kouji! Kouichi! Stop!”


	3. Manipulated

_Ah, man… this was not happening!_

 

He wasn’t sure what he was expecting when they followed Mephismon to this cave deep within the forest. At first glance, the cave seemed to be well hidden and protected by some kind of barrier. He had felt a tingling feeling upon entering the site of the cave and by judging from the twin’s tense posture they felt it too.

 

Takuya, however, didn’t put to much time into wondering what type of barrier they just passed through and why it was up in the first place or why it felt so… familiar. He had been a little preoccupied studying the two Beast Spirits when they arrived at the cave. The two Beast Spirits looked like a black lion and white wolf, respectively, and he wasn’t surprised that it was the Beast Spirits of Light and Darkness.

 

However, as the twins stepped up to the pedestals to retrieve their spirits, Takuya could not help but feel a sense of foreboding and it only got even more confusing when his gut told him that it was Kouichi’s brother who was the cause for this uneasy feeling. Takuya wasn’t sure what to think as he found himself keeping a close eye on his best friend’s brother.

 

Over the months they’ve known each other, Takuya had learned that there was more to Kouji then meets the eye. The two of them had conflicting personalities, which always initiated conflict between them. However, the two of them respected each other, despite their differences. One of the more recent disagreements was Kouji being disapproving of listening to one’s instincts or gut feeling. If Kouji had been paying attention to him, he probably would have seen him leaving the small cavern that was built like a shrine and entered the cave’s passageway, completely unaware that one of the Beast Spirits were giving off a dark glow.

 

Like every obstacle he and his friends faced, Takuya listened to his instincts as he walked down the creepy hallway. Call him stupid, but he wasn’t one to ignore his gut instincts, especially when it was telling him that something was wrong. With the bad luck they’ve been having with the Evil Warriors, Takuya wouldn’t be surprised if they had been followed by one of the Evil Warriors as Kouji had been expecting. Heavens knows how determined they were to steal their spirits, along with the Digital World’s DigiCode!

 

Either way, Takuya walked down the hall with a determined, tense expression and posture, as if waiting for the enemy to suddenly spring out of the dark and attack him. When the cave remained quiet, with nothing but his hard breathing and footsteps echoing around him, Takuya allowed the tension to leave his shoulders. Maybe they hadn’t been followed. But that didn’t explain the sense of dread that filled his gut. If them being followed wasn’t the problem, as Kouji had been worried about since they entered the village, then what was the problem? The thought made Takuya’s lips twitch a bit as he scanned the cave.

 

Upon inspecting the cave, Takuya found his eyes lingering on the walls that seemed to be far too unstable to hold up so much rock and mud. He noticed the walls were moist, maybe a little too moist. Takuya shook his head at that. There was probably some kind of water source under the cave that had been soaked up by the ground. Or maybe it was from the crazy weather. The Digital World seemed to have really odd weather patterns, especially when it would snow one minute and then be sunny the next.

 

Whatever the reason was, Takuya couldn’t help but stare at the spider-like cracks that scattered across the walls, making the walls look brittle and more unstable. He frowned, hoping they would not get caught in a cave-in. Takuya regretted the thought the moment it popped into his head.

 

_Takuya!_

 

Takuya’s body grew tense as a voice from the past clouded his senses. Takuya’s hand clung to the wall as the cave shifted and changed. Fear struck him as he found himself trapped in a burning building. Takuya’s breath hitched as he struggled to breath.

 

_Ta-kuya!_

 

Takuya closed his eyes as he tried to remember how to breathe. He tried to remember the lessons Kouichi had taught him long ago, but it was hard. All he could hear was the burning wood above him and the voice of his deceased cousin as he frantically called out for him. Attempting to find him as the walls around them burned in a blazing inferno.

 

Takuya felt his throat tighten as smoke filled his nose. His hands shook as he felt the ghost of the fire touching his skin. He felt himself freeze in fear as the wood that had fallen on him dug into his skin and then—

 

“Easy there, Takuya.” Takuya tried to gulp for air as a familiar voice (one that had left his lips so many times when he became a Digimon) tried to ground him. A hand gently touched his cheek as he spoke. “Breath, Takuya. Just breath.” Takuya did what he was told and soon found himself breathing normally, or as normal as he could make it. “That’s my partner.” Takuya opened his eyes and managed to see the faint spirit of Agnimon, smirking proudly at him before turning to one of concern. “You have to return to the others, Takuya. Light has been corrupted.” Before Takuya could even ask what he was talking about, a piercing scream was heard.

 

“Kouji-san!” Panic filled him as Takuya shook off the phantom of his past and ran. Agnimon faded away as he sprinted down the way he had come from, cursing at himself for allowing his weakness to overtake him. Takuya’s hand clenched his D-Scanner as Kouji’s pained screams got louder and louder. However, as he got closer Takuya heard another voice along with Kouji’s tone. Takuya’s hands shook as Kouji’s screams grew weaker and weaker and were soon replaced with the other. Something did not feel right, however. The other voice did not sound human. In fact, it sounded like an uncontrollable animal and a dangerous one at that.

 

With that unpleasant thought in his mind, Takuya entered the cavern where he had left the twins to gather their Beast Spirits, only to be struck with an alarming sight. Kouji was completely engulfed in his DigiCode. But for some reason, the DigiCode had an odd colouring to it. There seemed to be some black mixed into the normally blue DigiCode.

 

“Kouji!” Takuya shifted his eyes to his best friend, seeing the look of worry and horror on his face as he screamed for his brother. However, Kouichi was so distracted by the screams of his younger twin that he didn’t see his own Beast Spirit beginning to glow.

 

“Kouichi-kun! Get out of there!” Kouichi turned his gaze to him, a question on his worried features when he heard the panic in his voice. But it had been too late, for his screams soon joined his brother’s as he was engulfed in DigiCode.

 

“No! Kouichi-kun! Kouji-san!” Takuya covered his ears, collapsing to his knees and dropping his D-Scanner in the process, at the painful screams that echoed off the walls of the cave. Panic and fear for his friends engulfed him as the screams were replaced with frightening roars of wild animals. And the roars, he realized, were coming from both Kouichi and Kouji as they were replaced with the forms of their Beast Spirits.

 

However, something was wrong. Kouichi and Kouji were staring at each other like they did not know each other… like they were enemies. Takuya shakily picked up his D-Scanner as he got to his feet, wondering why Kouichi was growling threateningly at his brother.

 

“Guys?” The two Beast Digimon ignored him as they growled at each other before attacking.

 

“ **Speed Star!** ”

 

“Whoa! Kouji-san, what are you doing?! That’s your brother!”

 

The two continued to ignore him as they attacked, tearing into each other like wild animals and inadvertently blasting the walls of the cave and starting a cave-in.

 

“ **Black Thunder!** ”

 

“ **Militant Attack!** ”

 

The panic and fear soon returned when Takuya found himself almost being buried by rock and debris. Takuya was thankful when Mephismon took it upon himself to scoop him into his arms when he found himself frozen in fear. As much as he hated to admit it, he truly was a coward. Takuya found himself wincing when Mephismon protected him as Kouichi blasted Kouji through the wall.

 

Once they were in the safety of outside, Takuya found himself wondering why they were fighting.

 

“The Beasts are in full control now,” Mephismon spoke sadly as he unknowingly answered Takuya’s question.

 

“What you mean?”

 

Mephismon stared at him for a moment as if pondering what to tell him.

 

“Young warrior, like their Human counterparts, the Beast Spirits do have a mind of their own. You children had no problems getting along with the Human Spirits, but the Beast Spirits are more powerful. Their wills are stronger and are not always willing to allow someone to use their powers before showing their worth.”

 

Takuya found himself, for once, completely speechless. Kouichi and Kouji were several feet in front of them, clawing and biting and fighting like the animals they were. But it wasn’t his best friends fighting each other at all. It was the Beast Spirits of Light and Darkness — Garmmon and Kaiser Leomon.

 

Takuya’s eyes widened at this realization as his mind wandered back to what Ophanimon told them. She had said that they must co-exist with the Beast. They were not entirely sure what she meant at the time, but now as he watched his best friends fight each other in some sort of wolf and lion death match, he realized that this must have been what Ophanimon was talking about. The ‘Beast’ was the Beast Spirits and by ‘co-exist’ she meant they had to prove their worth.

 

But as Mephismon mentioned, it would not be easy. The Beasts might not be as willing to work with them. However, this didn’t explain what Agnimon said about Light being corrupted. Just what did he mean by that?

 

Takuya shook that thought away as Garmmon was blasted by Kaiser Leomon. A look of determination flickered in his brown orbs as a ring of DigiCode surrounded his palm. He couldn’t worry about that right now.

 

“Execute!”

 

His friends were trapped.

 

“Spirit Evolution!”

 

And he was determined to set them free.

 

At any cost.

* * *

 

 _He’s my brother…_ Kouichi stated to Kaiser Leomon through their mental link. The older twin hoped his Beast Spirit would understand and let the other Beast Digimon who was controlling the younger up onto his paws.

 

Kaiser Leomon paused. _Brother?_ The untainted Beast Spirit of Darkness did not understand the concept of siblings, but felt his wielder’s emotions and memories via the bond they now shared. Looking through the memories, Kaiser Leomon slowly began to understand the connection siblings had with each other.

 

 _I beg you… don’t kill him…_ Kouichi could sense, however, that Kaiser Leomon was unwilling to let go of the fact that Garmmon had to be stopped. Kouji was the only sibling he had, he really didn’t want to lose him.

 

Kaiser Leomon hesitated, conflicted – a notion he thought impossible for Beast Spirits, since Beast Digimon tended to react first and think later, due to their much wilder natures. _If I don’t, he will run to Cherubimon…_ The lion confirmed, wanting to see what his wielder thought.

 

 _That’s fine. We’ll just stop him then…_ Kouichi answered, his resolve strengthening at this comment. Was he really willing to sacrifice his brother to Cherubimon? Would he lose him forever? If it meant getting him back, he would do it, no matter what the cost was.

 

Kaiser Leomon tilted his head, not sure he’d heard Kouichi right. _Are you sure about this, Warrior of Darkness? You might lose him permanently_.

 

Faltering for a moment at the new words, Kouichi winced. _H-How do you mean?_ Mentally, he was panicking and was starting to regret what he had said.

 

 _Meaning the first couple of times transitioning back to human_ appear _to go fine. But each time one returns to Beast form, their sanity starts getting screwed with: to the point where they remain in Beast form since the Beast has complete control. Time spent as a Digimon might not be such a bad idea, right?_

 

Kouichi could have sworn he felt Kaiser Leomon grin devilishly at the boy’s fear. He was imagining it, surely? Kaiser Leomon wouldn’t be deceitful on purpose. But now, he was even more worried about the true nature of Beast Spirits.

 

 _Right then, host. I’ll relinquish control for now, but you watch yourself. You’ll never know when I might take over again…_ Kaiser Leomon laughed through their connection.

 

Kaiser Leomon kept his word. Kouichi saw Garmmon running off. The elder twin called for his brother as loudly as he could, but the Beast Spirit of Light ignored him. He screamed in despair and cried in denial.

 

Even while in human form, he could still feel a piece of Kaiser Leomon’s consciousness clinging to his own. Kouichi deduced that more of the Beast’s consciousness would cling to his after every transformation; thus, he would lose his mind in the end.

 

The Kimura boy realized they were all doomed and it was nobody’s fault but their own. The Beasts simply desired to live again, Kouichi could tell by KaiserLeomon’s tone.

 

Kouichi hit the ground with a clenched fist. He was mad at himself and had every right to be, he believed. Kaiser Leomon had manipulated him and he’d fallen for it.

 

The elder sibling had to give it to the Beast Spirits, though. They were incredibly smart to be able to fool them like that. _Good on them_. Kouichi wondered if the other Chosen Warriors were experiencing the same problems with their Beast Spirits.

 

For now, he accepted Takuya’s hand as help and pulled himself to his feet, looking around. Kouichi wanted to cry again. Garmmon had taken his brother from him… he couldn’t believe it. He had to get Kouji back somehow. _But how…?_

 

“Kimura-san...” Takuya attempted to start, but was interrupted by Kouichi.

 

Kouichi shook his head. “Kanbara-san, we need a plan. We need to join up with Orimoto-san and the others to help boost our strength.”

 

If he had been Kouji, he would have made a plan while still inside Kaiser Leomon. Kouichi had never been much of a forward thinker. However, since he was the only sibling that remained, he now had to take the lead somewhat.

 

Knowing Kouichi was right, Takuya nodded. “Where do we find them?” was the gogglehead’s next question.

 

That was a good inquiry. _Where to start?_

* * *

 

Mephismon had slunk away during the fight, retreating back to the village where he met up with Arbormon. The goat-like Digimon smirked as he knelt before the corrupted Warrior of Wood.

 

“Punks don’t know who they’re dealing with, boss.” Mephismon spoke, reverting to his true personality. He’d loathed masking his intentions while in front of the children, but he hadn’t wanted them to know what he was really doing.

 

“It’s fine, Mephismon. It’s all part of the plan.” Arbormon answered his underling in his slow, machine-gun fire manner of speech.

 

“What do we do now? Wait for Light to return?”

 

Mephistomon knew the Warrior of Wood to be one of the ten children called here to save the Digital World. He figured the child hadn’t expected both of his Spirits to be corrupted as they were. _Heh, working under Cherubimon makes my life so much better…_ The goat-like Digimon gloated.

 

Knowing Mephismon was still waiting for a reply from him, Arbormon followed through with the expectation. “He will return on his own, once he’s worked out how to shift back to his human body.”

 

 _Ah, not the answer I was hoping for…_ Mephismon looked unhappy about the Warrior’s chosen words.

 

Arbormon stared back, unimpressed by his displeasure. Dismissing Mephismon for a moment, he reflected on originally being part of Katsuharu’s team, before being dragged into this quest to save the world. He got to know the boys and the only girl on the team, Chiaki.

 

They became friends with one another… and they ran into Tomoki at the underground train station. Chiaki was the only one who thought they should leave the younger boy alone, but they ignored her.

 

As time went on and they became trapped in the bodies of these Digimon, he realized maybe they should have listened.

 

They should have listened to Chiaki, should have known she was wiser than them. They hadn’t and look where it had gotten them. Trapped as Digimon, becoming more unable to return to their original bodies the more pieces of the Warriors’ consciousness attached themselves to their own minds.

 

Refocusing on the present, Arbormon continued from where he left off. “You’re not pleased with my decision…” It was not phrased as a question. “Go after him if you want, I don’t care. But if you do, bring him back in one piece. I know what your kind are capable of, Mephismon.”

 

Mephismon got to his hooves and started walking off, not turning back to acknowledge his boss’ presence. “As you wish, boss. Stupid Human Spirit.” _Tch…_

 

Ignoring how disrespectful his underling was, Arbormon turned to the left. “Mephismon has left to complete his task.” Arbormon gazed at his fellow warrior, Mercuremon.

 

Mercuremon was leaning against one of the trees, allowing his non-existent eyes (he assumed) to gaze in the direction of where Mephismon went. Mercuremon tapped one of his fingers against his arm as they laid across his chest. His fellow warrior had a deep frown on his feature, an obvious sign he was displeased with Mephismon’s attitude, yet again.

 

Mercuremon had always been quite cryptic on how he felt; even as a human, Katsuharu was always quite closed off to others and only expressed himself towards those he trusted. However, he had known Katsuharu for quite some time (seeing as they grew up together); even as Katsuharu got meaner after the death of his father, he still trusted his judgement.

 

“You are going to need a new underling.”

 

As Arbormon, Teruo had a feeling he would say that. Mephismon could very well destroy their whole plan to capture the Warriors of Light and Darkness and get them on their side. Despite this unfortunate knowledge, Arbormon was still curious about Mercuremon’s response. “And why is that?”

 

“The fool is rash and impulsive,” Mercuremon said just as a loud roar was heard in the distance. Mercuremon tilted his head to the side as if contemplating something. “Looks like it’s starting.”

 

Arbormon nodded, knowing what he meant. He could feel the trees pulsing in urgency, as if they wanted Teruo to help out. _Looks like one of the other warriors found their Beast Spirits_. Mercuremon moved away from the tree and began walking away from the town.

 

“Mercuremon, where are you going?”

 

“Do not wait for the fool. His irrational behaviour will only slow us down.” Mercuremon paused to stare at him. “Besides, he will not make it to Act 2.” If Arbormon had the ability to, he would have rolled his eyes. Even as a Digimon, Katsuharu had that odd obsession with plays.

* * *

 

As Blizzarmon activated and took control of the bonding process, Tomoki felt like ice was numbing his whole body. The yeti-based Beast Digimon ignored the nine-year-old’s screams as their minds meshed, before Tomoki fell into silence.

 

Blizzarmon roared challengingly, daring anyone to stand and fight him. Who would clash with him? All he cared about was proving his strength and freezing anyone into statues who thought they could best him.

 

It was a few minutes before Tomoki finally spoke, managing to surface. _Wait, w-where am I? Who are-_

 

 _Blizzarmon is my name. You are my host, you will remain in my subconscious. I am the master now, not some puny human_.

 

The Beast Spirit spied a Pteramon hovering in the skies above him, so he unleashed a flurry of freezing ice. The ice covered the aerial Digimon completely and it crashed to the ground, where Blizzarmon used his axes to delete the armoured bird’s life.

 

As the data started floating up, Blizzarmon absorbed it.


End file.
